LAKE CHARLES – A total of 17 hits, seven of those for extra-bases including four home runs, the final one being a three-run moonshot over the left field wall by Shane Selman, lifted the Southland Conference champion McNeese Cowboys to a 16-6, seven inning run-rule win over Lamar to close out the 2017 regular season.
 
McNeese (36-18, 22-8 SLC), the No. 1 seed in next week's conference tournament, will see Lamar at least one more time when it opens tourney play against the No. 8 seeded Cardinals (33-23, 16-14) in Wednesday's first round action beginning at 4 p.m.
 
The 22 league wins ties the 2006 Cowboys, also the conference champions, as the most league victories in a season in school history.
 
Selman's game-ending home run capped a five-run seventh inning for the Cowboys as they scored in every inning prior.
 
"That was good to see," said head coach Justin Hill who picked up his 129^th career-win on the day. "We put some crooked numbers up there, so that's good."
 
McNeese has been swinging the bats better the last seven games, winning five of those contests, and posted its most hits in a game since tagging 19 against Abilene Christian back on April 8.
 
"We've been swinging the bats well," said Hill. "And when you mix in some walk, that helps things out."
 
Ricky Ramirez, Jr. tied a career-high with his third four-hit game of the season after he finished the day 4-for-4 with four runs scored, two RBIs and a double.
 
Mitchell Rogers posted a career game with four hits and two of those being home runs, marking the second time this year the first-year Cowboy hit two home runs in the same game. The first time came in a 5-4 win over LSU on March 8.
 
Like Thursday's game, McNeese fell behind in the first inning but battled back after getting a solid relief pitching performance.
 
Bryan King started on the mound and fell behind 4-1 before being lifted for Grant Anderson after 2 1/3 innings.
 
Anderson come in with a runner on second base with one out in the third and after the Cardinals had already scored three runs in the frame. He struck out the final two batters of the inning to halt the rally.
 
McNeese's offense exploded in the third with four runs on four hits with the big blow being a three-run blast by Joe Provenzano, his sixth of the season, to put the Cowboys up 6-4.
 
In the fourth, Ramirez and Matt Gallier, who finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, singled in back-to-back at-bats. Ramirez scored the seventh run of the game after Lamar pitcher Ryan Johnson was called for a balk to make it 7-4.
 
The lead went to 9-4 in the fifth inning behind a RBI single by Robbie Podorsky and RBI sacrifice fly from Ramirez.
 
The Cardinals, who put 10 hits on the board, added two runs in the sixth inning to close the gap to 9-6.
 
Rogers hit his second homer of the game, his ninth of the season, with a two-run pop to left field that scored Austin Nelson who walked in the prior at-bat. That made it 11-6 heading to the seventh.
 
Podorsky led off the seventh with a triple into left-center field then scored on a one-out single by Ramirez. Gallier followed with a walk then Provenzano knocked in Ramirez with a single to make it 13-6.
 
Selman then ended the game early with his 14^th home run of the season to put the 10-run rule into effect.
 
Anderson improved his record to 7-0 on the season in picking up the win after he threw 3 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts. Collin Kober pitched a hitless and scoreless seventh inning with a walk and strike out.
 
Lamar starter Jimmy Johnson (6-5) took the loss after surrendering six runs on seven hits with three free passes and one strike out.
 
Robin Adames led the Cardinals at the plate with a 3-for-4 game.
 
WORTH NOTING:
• McNeese's 36 wins on the season are the most since winning 39 in 2000, also a SLC championship season
• Ricky Ramirez's first-inning double gives him 21 on the season, just two shy of tying the single-season school record of 23.
• At 7-0 on the year, Grant Anderson is just the third player in school history to post an unbeaten record with at least 7 victories.